Young Turks stranded in Denmark

Turkey denying entry to its own citizens whose applications for family reunification permits were rejected

June 30th, 2014 3:10 pm| by admin

A group of young Turkish citizens – the exact number and their ages remain unspecified – are caught in a limbo between Denmark and their homeland.

Turkey will not grant passports to the group of children and young adults, who came to Denmark on a tourist visa to live with their parents, who are Danish residents, and then applied and failed to get family reunification permits to stay with them. That makes them illegal immigrants, but the Justice Ministry can't send them back home, Politiken reports.

Peter Starup, an associate professor of immigration law, called the case unusual.

"If Turkey delays the repatriation process after the Danish authorities have made their decision, it's a highly problematic situation. That way, Turkey thrusts its own citizens upon Denmark and interferes with Danish domestic affairs," he told Politiken.

Keep on tryingJustice Minister Karen Hækkerup announced that the national police will continue to try and get the Turkish Embassy to grant travel documents to the young Turks.